Year 7 Knowledge sheet: Castles

Key content What you need to know Key terms Change and continuity: Some things that changes and some things that stay the same (continuity)

Portcullis: gate made of iron Keep: the strongest and tallest place on a castle Motte: mound of earth, on top of which the keep was built Bailey: courtyard where the buildings stood Moat: deep ditch around the castle Curtain wall: the stone wall built around a castle Barbican: gatehouse

Motte and Bailey Castles

❖ Motte and bailey castles appeared in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. ❖ Motte and bailey castles were a common feature in England by the death of William the Conqueror in 1087. ❖ Their construction was the start of what was to become a massive castle building programme in England and Wales. Early castles were made of wood however they could burn and be chopped down and were relatively easy to attack. From about 1070 some castles started to be made out of stone for strength. Square Keep

❖ The Tower was founded by William the Conqueror towards the end of the 1066.

❖ The White Tower was constructed in 1078. The White Tower is an example of a keep.

❖ Richard the Lionheart added to the castle in the 12th century and Edward I added the outer ward in the 13th century.

❖ The layout of the Tower of London has remained pretty much unchanged since

Concentric Castles

Concentric castles were built with several walls of decreasing heights, so soldiers could shoot attackers more effectively. The idea was brought back by knights fighting in the Holy Land.

Comfier castles From the 1400s onwards less castles were built because the country was becoming more peaceful. As a result castles were modified to become more comfortable homes and were less fortified.

Another important reason why castle building stopped was the use of gunpowder.

Weapons and tactics Siege – a method of attack where an army surrounds a castle, cutting off essential supplies, until the enemy is forced to surrender

Trebuchet- A machine used in siege warfare that could throw large stones and other objects

Mangonel- Machine used to fire rocks

Battering ram – a tree trunk hanging on a wooden frame, protected by an animal skin roof

Siege tower – a large wooden tower protected by animal skins. Soldiers would climb up it and over the walls

Sappers- specialist soldiers who could dig under a wall or a tower.

Undermining- when a group of sappers would dig under a castles wall/tower, then burn the wooden supports causing it to collapse.

Greek fire- possibly a mixture of tar, oil and Sulphur. It couldn’t be put out with tar – but it could with urine!